Speed measuring apparatus



June 29, 1965 E. H. B. BARTELINK SPEED MEASURING APPARATUS OriginalFiled Feb. 8, 1955 f VEP/#11:0 f7. 5. ARTEL f/vK.

3,192,524 SPEED MEASURING APPARATUS Everhard H. B. Bartelink, P.O. Box425, Concord, N.H. Original application Feb. 8, 1955, Ser. No. 486,873,now Patent No. 2,999,999. Divided and this application Aug. 11, 1961,Ser. No. 130,911

' 5 Claims. (Cl. 343-8) This invention relates to' speed measuringapparatus and particularly to electrical apparatus for measuring theUnited States Patent O speed of the slowest vehicle in a group ofvehicles on a roadway.

ln my copending application, Serial No. 486,873, filed February 8, 1955,and entitled Highway Trafiic Control System, now Patent No. 2,999,999,of which this application is a division, a traffic control system forregulating the speed of traffic on a highway in accordance with thevariation of certain conditions of such highway is described. Thisapplication is directed to the apparatus shown in said copendingapplication used for measuring the speed of the slowest vehicle in agroup of vehicles on a roadway and to provide information to computingapparatus used in the trafiic control system for'determining the maximumsafe speed.

One object of the invention :is to provide apparatus which will measurethe speed of a group of vehicles on a roadway and which will control anelectrical circuit in accordance with the speed of the slowest vehiclein the group.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus which may beunattended and which will periodically determine the speed of theslowest vehicle in a group of vehicles on a roadway.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdetailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof,Whichdescription should be considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing in which the single figure thereof is a combinedblock and circuit diagram of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

The preferredV embodiment of the invention illustrated to the speed ofthe vehicle. Thus, a slow moving vehicle will provide a low frequencysignal at the output of receiver 252 and a fast moving vehicle willprovide a high frequency signal at the output of receiver 252, thefrequency of both signals being in the audio frequency range.

The output of the receiver 252 is coupled to a plurality of filters 255,256, 257, etc. which lters may be either band pass filters or low passfilters. Thus, filter 255 would pass a signal corresponding to a vehiclespeed of 20 miles per hour or would pass signals corresponding tovehicle speeds up to 20 miles per hour; filter 256 would pass signalscorresponding to vehicle speeds of approximately 30 miles per hour orwould pass signals corresponding to vehicle speeds up to 30 miles perhour, etc. The output of each filter is connected to a rectifier such asrectifiers 258, 259, 260, etc. which rectify the signals passed by theassociated filters so that a D.C. voltage appears at the output of arectifier when it receives a signal from its associated filter. Contacts261, 262 and 263 of an electrical stepping switch 264 are connected tothe outputs of rectifiers 258, 259, 268 and contacts 256, 266, 267 areconnected to the outputs of 3,192,524 Patented June 29, 1965 ice similarrectifiers connected to other filters, such similar rectifiers and otherfilters being the same as those shown in FIG. l but being omitted in thedrawing for the purpose of simplicity in illustration.

The stepping switch 264 has a pair of arms 268 and 269 which are driventogether. The stepping switch 264 also includes a release magnet 270which returns the arms 268 and 269 to the position shown when the magnet270 is energized and a stepping magnet 271 which causes the arms to movein succession to the contacts of the switch 264. Magnets 270 and 271 areconnected to a stepping circuit 272 of a type well known in the Vartwhich energizes the magnet 271 and causes the arms 268 and 269 to stepsuccessively to the various contacts until the arm 268 reaches one ofthe contacts associated therewith which is at a predetermined potentialwith respect to ground. When the .arm 268 reaches such a contact, thestepping circuit 272 discontinues its energization of magnet 271 so thatthe arms 268 and 269 remain at positions corresponding to the aforesaidcontact until the release magnet 270 is energized. Accordingly, the arms268 and 269 will stop at positions corresponding to the'speed of theslowest vehicle within the range of the transmitter 251 and the receiver252.

A pair of contacts 273 are associated with the stepping circuit 272 andare periodically closed by a cam 274 driven by a motor 275. When thecontacts 273 are closed, the release magnet is energized, returning thearms 268 and 269 to the position shown in FIG. 1 and the steppingcircuit 272 is reset. Subsequently, the stepping circuit steps the arms268 and 269 in the manner heretofore described.

A plurality of resistors 276-282 are connected across voltage source 283and are connected to the contacts associated with the arm 269. Theresistors 276-282 act as a voltage divider and the voltage between theterminals 284 and 285 will be dependent upon the position of the arm269. Thus, the magnitude of the voltage between the terminals 284 and285 is related to and will indicate the speed of the slowest vehiclewithin the range of the transmitter 251 and the receiver 252.

Having thus described my invention with particular reference to thepreferred form thereof, it will be obvious to those skilled in the artto which the invention pertains, after understanding my invention, thatvarious changes and modifications may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of my invention, as defined by the claimsappended thereto.

I claim:

1. Means f-or indicating the speed of the slowest vehicle on a highwaycomprising means for measuring the speed of vehicles in a predeterminedsection of a 'highway including means for transmitting energy of apredetermined radio frequency, and means for receiving portions of saidenergy reflected by said vehicles and for providing signals havingfrequencies which are related to the speeds of .the reflecting vehicles;a plurality of means connected to s-aid receiving means for separatingsaid signals according :to their frequencies; detecting means fordetecting sign-als at the outputs of said separating means, saiddetect-ing means being selectively connectible .to said separating meansand being operable by said lastment'ioned signals .to control theconnection thereof to said separating means; ,and means cont-rolled bysaid detecting means for providing a plurality of different voltlageseach one of which represents a different connection ybetween saiddetecting means and said separating means.

2. Means for indicating the speed of the slowest velhicle of a group ofvehicles in a predetermined larea comprising means for transmittingradio frequency energy yinto said area and receiving such energy reectedby vehicles in said Iarea, means connected to said receiving means forconverting received energy into signals having frequencies which arerelated to the speeds `of said vehicles, .the lowest frequency signalcorresponding to the speed of the slowest vehicle, `a plurality offilters, each passing lsignals of a different frequency, connected tosaid converting means, detecting means for detecting the output energyof said filters, scanning means for successively connecting saiddetecting means Ito each of said filter means commencing with lthefilter means passing the lowest frequency signal .and then to the filtermeans passing the signal having the next highest frequency, saidscanning means being responsive t-o the output energy of said filterme-ans for interrupting the scanning of said filter means uponconnection of said :detecting means to a filter means having .a signalpresent there-in, an electrical circuit having a variable control forvarying .an electrical characteristic of said circuit, `and meansinterconnecting said control and said scanning means whereby theposition of said control is controlled by said scanning means.

3. Means for indicating the speed of the slowest vehicle lof .a group ofvehicles .in a predetermined area comprising means for transmittingradio frequency energy into said area and receiving such energyreflected by vehicles in said area, means connected to said receivingmeans for converting 4received energy into signals having frequencieswhich are related to the speeds of said vehicles, the lowest frequencysignal corresponding to the speed of 4the slowest vehicle, a plur-alityof filters, each passing signals of a different frequency, connected tosaid converting means, means successively connectible to the outputs ofsaid filters .and connectible first to the filter passing signals oft-he lowest frequency and -then to the outputs of filters passingsignals of higher frequencies, means for stopping said successivelyconnectible means at the first of the energy outputs having `a signalpresent therein, an electrical circuit having a variable control forvarying an electrical characteristic of said circuit, meansinterconnecting said control and said successively connectible meanswhereby .the position of said control is controlled by .the position ofthe successively connectible means, and means for periodically operatingsaid successively connectible means.

4. Means for indicating the speed of the slowest vehicle of -a group ofvehicles in a predetermined larea comprising means for transmittingradio frequency energy into said area and receiving such energyreflected by vehicles in said area, means connected to sa-id receivingmeans for converting received energy into signals having frequencieswhich are related to the speeds of said vehicles, the lowest frequencysignal corresponding to the speed of the slowest vehicle, a plurality offilters, each passing signals of a different frequency, connected tosaid converting means, means successively connectible to .the outputs ofsaid filters and connectible first to the filter prassing signals of thelowest frequency and then to the outputs of filters passing signals ofhigher frequencies, means for stopping said successively connectiblemeans at the first of `the filter outputs having a signal presenttherein, a potentiometer having an arm, means interconnecting said armand sta-id successively connectible means whereby the position of saidarm is controiled by the position of the successively connectible means,and means for periodically operating said successively connectiblemeans.

5. Means for lindicating the presence of a vehicle having .apredetermined speed in a group of vehicles in a predetermined areacomprising means for :transmitting radio frequency energy .into saidarea and receiving such energy re-iiected by vehicles in said area,means connected to said receiving means for converting received energyinto `signals 'having frequencies which are related to the speeds ofsaid vehicles and including said predetermined speed, la plurality ofmeans for segregating said signais in accordance with their frequenciesconnected to said converting means, one of said segregating meanssegregating the signals having a frequency corresponding to saidpredetermined speed, `detecting means for detecting the output energy ofsaid segregating means, and scanning means connected to said detectingmeans `and said segregating means, said :scanning means connecting saiddetecting means successively to the outputs of said segregating meansand being controlled by the signals at the output of said segregatingmeans and operable by the presence of a signal at the output of said onesegregating means for interrupting the openation of said scanning means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,878,467 3/59Barker 343-8 3,121,856 2/64 Finney 343-9 CHESTER L. JUSTUS, PrimaryExaminer.

1. MEANS FOR INDICATING THE SPEED OF THE SLOWEST VEHICLE ON A HIGHWAYCOMPRISING MEANS FOR MEASURING THE SPEED TO VEHICLE IN A PREDETERMINEDSECTION BY A HIGHWAY INCLUDING MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING ENERGY OF APREDETERMINED RADIO FREQUENCY, AND MEANS FOR RECEIVING PORTIONS OF SAIDENEGRY REFLECTED BY SAID VEHICLES AND FOR PROVIDING SIGNALS HAVINGFREQUENCIES WHICH ARE RELATED TO THE SPEEDS OF THE REFLECTING VEHICLES;A PLURALITY OF MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID RECEIVING MEANS FOR SEPARATINGSAID SIGNALS ACCORDING TO THEIR FREQUENCIES; DETECTING MEANS FORDETECTING SIGNALS AT THE OUTPUT OF SAID SEPARATING MEANS, SAID DETECTINGMEANS BEING SELECTIVELY CONNECTIBLE TO SAID SEPARATING MEANS AND BEINGOPERABLE BY SAID LASTMENTIONED SIGNALS TO CONTROL THE CONNECTION THEREOFTO SAID SEPARATING MEANS; AND MEANS CONTROLLED BY SAID DE-